More than any other holiday, Christmas brings out the urge to decorate and celebrate. Much like Yuletide cards sprung to life, many cities and towns across America go all out for the holidays. They make the season bright, decking out their streets, parks and squares with twinkling lights, towering Christmas trees, dioramas and nativity scenes. Some communities stage parades, holiday markets and music fests to celebrate the season.

We've searched out 10 of the country's most amazing holiday celebrations — and joining in on the festivities at any one of them could make this a December to remember for you and yours.

1. Wassail Weekend, Woodstock, Vermont

Woodstock is the quintessential New England village, and it was a favorite subject of artist Norman Rockwell who several times in the 1940s illustrated holiday scenes from here for Saturday Evening Post covers.

Visitors gathering for the annual Wassail Weekend (set for Dec. 8-31 this year) will find the setting has hardly changed as Woodstock celebrates the season with a number of events, including a parade of horse-drawn sleighs circling the snowy village green, caroling performances, lighting of the town tree and Yule log and a gala Wassail Feast.

2. Williamsburg, Virginia

A popular year-round vacation destination, Williamsburg pulls out all the stops during the winter holiday season. Colonial holiday traditions are the focus of daily activities at Colonial Williamsburg where costumed interpreters bring the 18th century to life with fife and drum performances and caroling by torchlight.

Christmas Town, at nearby Busch Gardens, sets the park aglow with 8 million lights in one of the nation's largest lighting displays. The Gardens' festive holiday shows begin Nov. 25 and continue through Jan. 2.

3. Annapolis, Maryland

Annapolis is another hotbed of American history, and the town's Chesapeake Bay waterfront is the place to be on the evening of Dec. 10 when Annapolis celebrates Christmas in style with the Eastport Yacht Club's annual Parade of Lights, featuring dozens of festively lit boats.

Other activities include candlelight strolls, guided tours of some of the town's historic homes, a holiday farmers market and concerts at Maryland's historic State House and the U.S. Naval Academy.

4. Christmas Town USA, McAdenville, North Carolina

This small town near Charlotte gets behind Christmas in a really big way, actually renaming itself Christmas Town USA every December as it has done for the last 60 years.

Festivities get underway Dec. 1 with the official lighting ceremony, whereupon the more than 450,000 lights strung about the hamlet of 650 residents turn darkness into daylight. On Dec. 16, a Yule log lighting and parade will be followed by the annual Christmas Town Festival. Go early the first 1,000 attendees get free hot chocolate and kettle corn.

The quiet little town of McAdenville, North Carolina, comes alive in spectacular fashion each year as Christmas draws near.


5. Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin

Best known for its famous auto racing circuit, Elkhart Lake turns its attention each winter to an all-out Christmas celebration. Festivities here center on the Old World Christmas Market, Dec. 2-11, at Osthoff Resort.

Modeled after the centuries-old Christkindlesmarkt of Nüremberg, Germany, the market brings together more than 200 vendors peddling crafts, art, hand-made ornaments from around the world, and the Old World Food Court features a delectable array of German fare, including Nüremburg bratwurst, sauerbraten, wiener schnitzel, apple strudel, gingerbread and glühwein. All the while, Father Christmas roams the market merrily greeting children of all ages.

6. Natchitoches, Louisiana

This small town in north-central Louisiana with a hard to pronounce name it's "nack-a-tish" is home to one of the nation's oldest and most colorful community-based holiday celebrations. Starting out as a one-day festival back in 1927, the Festival of Lights has evolved into a six-week extravaganza, beginning the Saturday before Thanksgiving and concluding Jan. 6, the Epiphany.

More than 300,000 lights and 100 set pieces are on display every night at dusk along the banks of Cane River Lake. The busy event schedule here includes carriage tours through the historic district, a children's festival, parades, a 5K run, fireworks and live musical performances.

7. Ozark Mountain Christmas, Branson, Missouri

Known as the Music Show Capital of the World, Branson definitely knows how to put on a show. Its annual Ozark Mountain Christmas spectacle, which runs from the beginning of November through New Year's Day, is a case in point.

The historic downtown shopping and entertainment district along Main Street is wrapped in evergreen garland and lighted to the hilt. Dolly Parton gets into the act with her Dixie Stampede, a popular arena performance decorated and adapted to the season with traditional holiday music. And, the Silver Dollar City theme park's Old Time Christmas festival is a must as well for its Holly Jolly Christmas Parade and an eye-popping light show featuring five million holiday lights and more than 1,000 decorated Christmas trees.

8. Christmas in the Stockyards, Fort Worth, Texas

For a unique holiday celebration focusing on western heritage, pony on down to the Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District for its annual Christmas in the Stockyards event Dec. 3.

Family friendly activities include caroling, face painting, photos with Cowboy Santa, cow milking and a rendition of the ever-popular Fort Worth Herd Cattle Drive, a routine spectacle here at the historic Stockyards. The herd, incidentally, is comprised of rangy Texas Longhorns that generate lots of excitement as they amble past. Capping the day is the Stockyards Christmas Parade, beginning at 4 p.m.

9. Luminaria Lighting, Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado

National parks aren't just for summer vacations. Many of the country's 409 parks gear up for a festive holiday season with special events and programs. One of the most moving of them takes place among the ancient Pueblo cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde.

Traditional to the Southwest, luminarias are small paper lanterns that are placed along the path to the Spruce Tree House and throughout the park's interpretation area on Dec. 10. For those willing to brave the winter chill, it is a mesmerizing and memorable event.

10. Nevada City Victorian Christmas, California

A rich and rowdy Gold Rush town in the 19th century, Nevada City is nowadays noted for its picturesque Sierra mountain setting and well-preserved historic district and for its gala annual Victorian Christmas celebration.

The setting is magical hilly streets outlined with twinkling lights and authentic gas lamps, wandering minstrels and carolers dressed in Victorian attire, and myriad visitors sharing holiday cheer and good tidings. Activities, including carriage rides, live entertainment, boutique browsing and chestnut roasting, take place on three Sunday afternoons (Dec. 4, 11 and 18) and two Wednesday evenings (Dec. 14 and 21).